Sudan: Sudanese Journalists' Syndicate Documents 673 Violations and Calls for End to Impunity

What the report says

The Sudanese Journalists' Syndicate says it has documented 673 violations against journalists since fighting broke out in Sudan on 15 April 2023. In figures released around the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, the syndicate said the cases include 34 killings, 116 incidents of arbitrary arrest, detention or enforced disappearance, and 120 threats or hate-speech attacks. The statement, reported by Dabanga via AllAfrica, describes a sharp worsening of conditions for media workers during the war.

The Freedom Secretariat said the violations also include direct targeting, gunfire, assaults, looting and other abuses. It singled out five journalists it says have been forcibly disappeared, with cases reported in areas controlled by the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. The syndicate also said there is incomplete information on some detainees in SAF-held areas and called for clarity on their whereabouts and release.

The group further said it has documented 64 prosecution cases during the conflict, including complaints filed under Sudan’s cybercrime law against journalists and media outlets. It warned that recent legal changes could further restrict electronic and media publishing. The syndicate urged independent investigations, accountability for perpetrators, repeal of restrictive laws, and stronger protections for press freedom and access to information. The report fits a broader pattern of concern over wartime risks to journalists in Sudan, including growing impunity and weakened safeguards for civil liberties.